Category: Skin

How do you take care of your face skin at the end of the day? Do you have a night care routine?

Do you apply makeup? If so, how do you clean your skin? If no, do you clean it anyway?

Products, pollutants and other aggressors

It is important to finish the day with a little facial care before going to bed and thus remove the products and pollutants that attacked your skin during the day.

In the evening, it is crucial to remove make-up and clean your skin. Whether you have a routine, makeup or not, that you do not have the time or the desire, cleanse and clean the skin of your face are the two steps that I consider mandatory. They are necessary and important to maintain youthful skin.

Here are the 6 steps that I apply every night even if it is super late and I have only one desire; to go to bed as soon as possible! I describe how I do it and what products I use.

The 6 steps for the facial care of the evening

Face and eyes Make-up Removal

Since I do not use any makeup I go directly to the next step. If you either do not use any or have not applied some, go to step 2. If you wear makeup you can remove it with pure coconut oil. To do so, be sure to have a wet towel handy. Then take a piece of coconut oil with your fingers and directly rub your face and possibly your eyes. Do not open them! Using the towel gently clean your face and eyes. Rinse with warm water as often as necessary and then just before finishing, with hot water, cover your face for a few moments. Enjoy this little moment of relaxation for your face!

Clean skin

Since I do not wear any makeup, I clean my skin by applying a piece of coconut oil with my fingers all over the face avoiding the eyes. I make sure I have a wet towel handy and rinse with warm water. I finish by putting my towel in hot water and then I cover my face a few moments. Little relaxation well appreciated for my face!

Toning the pores of the skin

Now that the skin is clean and the pores are also clean and open, I tone with a homemade toner (composition here) dropped on a washable cotton. It closes and firms the pores and rebalances the ph of the skin.

Moisturize skin

I spray my face with Dama’s rose hydrolate. It is powerful for firming skin tissues. It is also an effective toning agent for the epidermis. The hydrolate that you can spray on your face must be composed of an element that suits your skin type, your complexity, your age and your personal skin needs.

Moisturize and Protect Skin

I spray some homemade serum (over here for the recipe) in my hand a few times and I warm it by rubbing my hands together. Then I apply from the neck up to the forehead massaging through the cheeks.

Moisturize, protect and prepare for sleep

Without waiting, I apply my special moisturizing cream (composition and info here) for the night composed of essential oil perfect for inducing sleep.

I would like to know your routine and your habits! Talk about it here in the comments and then do not hesitate to take a picture of yourself and tag me on instagram and Facebook as @chantalhealthylifestyle and use the hashtag #chantalhealthylifestyle.

You use a moisturizing cream but you find it insufficient. You wonder if a serum would help you. You would like to try a serum but do not know if it’s for you and even less how to choose it from all available brands.

Perhaps you just ask yourself what a serum is and what it is for. Never mind, here are the answers to your questions in addition to a simple recipe to do it yourself!

Serum, tell me who you are

Serum is this little clear, oily liquid, rich and concentrated in valuable assets. It is a complement to the treatment of the day or night cream for your face. Its role? It helps the moisturizer penetrate more deeply.

Based on vegetable oils, the serum may contain active components such as hyaluronic acid, coenzyme Q10 and collagen.

In the recipe proposed here below, you are free to add these components. For personal reasons (no skin problem, convenience and ease) I do not use them. It is important to choose an opaque or dark colored glass container that is small enough to control the amount of each use.

Applying the serum

First you heat it in your hands and then apply it starting with your neck going up towards your forehead. You must, without delay, directly apply your moisturizer. Their applications must follow each other.

The serum can be applied mornings and evenings, or just one of the two. It depends on the condition of your skin. If it is dried by the sun, wind, air conditioning, applying it twice a day may be necessary.

Moisturizing Serum Recipe:

2 tsp VO sweet almond

1 rsp VO argan

1 / 2 tsp VO jojoba

1 / 2 tsp VO calendula

1 / 2 tsp VO avocado

1 / 2 tsp VO sesame

20 Drops EO true lavender

1 / 4 tsp VO wheat germ or 2 drops grapefruit seeds

—

Mix all the oils (vegetable and essential) together.

Pour into a 30ml container, preferably dark in color to reduce the effects of light oxidation.

Keep in a cool place.

Why do I use these vegetable and essential oils, you might ask?

Vegetable Oils Properties

First of all, almond oil is very soft and suitable for the majority of skin types except very oily skin or having large pores. It’s great for itchy skin. It is often an oil considered as a base in many skin products and frequently used in baby products. It is absorbed slowly.

Argan oil has been used for centuries by Berbers. It is a regenerative oil rich in essential fatty acid, gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), which helps the body to reduce inflammation by producing prostaglandins. It restores elasticity and suppleness of the skin. Highly antioxidant because of its high content of vitamin E, it neutralizes free radicals and fights against the effects of skin aging.

Versatile and very popular, jojoba oil is a classic in skin and hair care. Rich in omega 6, it protects and retains moisture. Its chemical composition is very similar to sebum, the natural oil of your skin. It is excellent for treating acne. It softens pores and helps remove impurities. It is suitable for all skin types and is slowly absorbed.

Anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, calendula oil is prescribed to calm eczema, diaper rash and accelerates the healing of wounds or scars. In addition to stimulating healing, calendula oil can significantly improve the appearance of your skin. It can affect blood flow to skin cells, provide antioxidant protection reducing the appearance of wrinkles and pigment spots, and even the visibility of scars.

Avocado oil deserves as much a place in your skin care routine as it does in the kitchen. Despite its earthy aroma and dark green color, it is soft. It is rich in vitamin D. Ideal for dark skin, it is suitable for all skin types.

Rich in zinc, sesame oil provides the most important mineral for your skin. It increases the elasticity and softness of the skin. Sesame oil reduces oxidative stress, helping to reduce the appearance of age spots and eliminate skin conditions, including premature aging. A study by Dr. Lily Zhong, State University of California, Los Angeles, USA, found that topical application of sesame oil on the skin can help create a protective layer on the skin and to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. In some places, sesame oil has even been used to treat fungal diseases of the skin.

The proven benefits of lavender essential oil for health include its ability to reduce stress and anxiety, eliminate tension, relieve pain, disinfect the scalp and skin, prevent acne , improve blood circulation and fight against respiratory problems. Since it is widely used in aromatherapy and acts as a natural sleep aid, I use it in my serum and apply it at night with my “Goodnight” cream.